Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has Died

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Pope Emeritus of Roma {Rome}, has died.

He was 95 years old. He had served as Pope for 7 years and as a Cardinal for 27 years. He had also served as a Bishop for 45 years and 71 years as a Priest.

May he rest in peace.

Council of Cardinals

This week the Council of Cardinals will be meeting with Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J.).

The group was initially announced in April 2013 and this will be their first meeting as a group in the Vatican.

Pope Francis created the group to assist him in the governance of the Universal church and to draw up a plan for the revision of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus on the Roman Curia.

Pastor Bonus is a document published on 28 June 1988 by Pope John Paul II which provides norms and structures for the Roman Curia (“the complex of dicasteries and institutes which help the Roman Pontiff in the exercise of his supreme pastoral office for the good and service of the whole Church and of the particular Churches. It thus strengthens the unity of the faith and the communion of the people of God and promotes the mission proper to the Church in the world.” - Pastor Bonus, 1). It has received several minor modifications over the years.

Canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II

Pope John XXIII (Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli) and Pope John Paul II (Karol Józef Wojtyła) will be canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday, 27 April 2014.

Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J.)

Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J.) was elected by the Conclave of 2013.

He had been serving as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Pope Benedict XVI resigned as Pope

Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) has resigned as Pope (Roma {Rome}, Italy).

The Conclave to elect his successor should begin in the next two to three weeks.